Discover Hertford Online Forum

Which I think is good news, as the are going to make the current A414 through town a cycle/pedestrian highway with a single road carriageway

My recollection, from watching the Inspector's visit, was that this was only mentioned but no-one from Highways spoke to the project. When I completed the LTP4 consultation I did not find anything stating there is money behind the proposal and HCC does not even mention that government has in any way intimated that it would look favourably on the proposal. I do wonder if HCC is proposing taking one lane from each side of the A414 to make Hertford a sustainable travel town BEFORE the by-pass is even discussed!

The Local Transport Plan mentions the principle of a Hertford Bypass - nothing more. If the principle gets a generally warm reception then funding and routing would be the next stage. Then of course there'll be public consultations etc before a proposed budget is put forward. I would be surprised to see any tarmac before 2025.

Agreed, but my concern is that it is rather like an election manifesto 'Elect me and I'll give you x' but there is no guarantee, especially if we see a change in Government. Also between 2017-22 Hertford will see another 565 homes built (1,850 by 2033) and the EHDC DP (Modifications 2018) is now saying (MM/3/21) that provision of a bypass in combination with Sustainable Town Initiatives 'will be required' to support this development. But I think we all know that the building will go on whether there is money allocated to the bypass on not. Perhaps, rather than sit on its hands, HCC needs to wake up and implement flow technology on Gascoyne Way rather than making promises it can't finance.

flow technology? Is that basically sync'ing the traffic lights? does it work?

Works in Germany.

If you get one green light and stick to the stated speed, you never get a red light - brilliant

(If you don't turn off of course !)

TcfL wrote:Agreed, but my concern is that it is rather like an election manifesto 'Elect me and I'll give you x' but there is no guarantee, especially if we see a change in Government. Also between 2017-22 Hertford will see another 565 homes built (1,850 by 2033) and the EHDC DP (Modifications 2018) is now saying (MM/3/21) that provision of a bypass in combination with Sustainable Town Initiatives 'will be required' to support this development. But I think we all know that the building will go on whether there is money allocated to the bypass on not. Perhaps, rather than sit on its hands, HCC needs to wake up and implement flow technology on Gascoyne Way rather than making promises it can't finance.

Agreed

It's not really the 565 additional homes in Hertford that cause the problem, but the fact that 70% of the traffic on the 414 is just passing through, never stopping (well not on purpose)

The thing to do, is make the point to your local councillors, and they can push on your behalf.

As I recall, provision of a Hertford Bypass is just one part of improvements to the A414 corridor overall, and strategically important for the development of Harlow North and Birchall Garden Suburb.

Perhaps I missed it but don't recall anything about an improved A1(M)/A414 link at Hatfield or improvements to the A10 to carry the additional heavy traffic this outer ring road would attract, let alone the developers who will follow it looking to build hamlets along the side of the new bypass. IMO the old maxim of lay concrete, attract traffic still applies. Even LTP4 talks of a pop growth of 175,000 and 87,000 new homes in Herts by 2031. This is a short term policy by 'experts' without any government being willing to address the national problem of believing everything is centred around London. I also do not see how taking one lane, each way, of the A414 for a bus lane is going to improve anything, let alone bring Sustainable Transport Towns, when you are also increasing the number of homes you build along the route.I know I sound like a moaner but I'm interested in what we will be leaving our children/grand children.